Decorating the human face in the past has involved techniques such as the application of colored pigments to the skin in desired arrangements. These techniques require a large expenditure of time, both in applying the decoration and in removing the decoration. In the case of a tatoo, the decoration is semi-permanent and requires a surgical like procedure for removal. Thus, these techniques are not suitable for the person who wishes to apply or remove a decoration in an easy manner.
Various decorations have been contemplated which attach to the ear with little effort and provide the ear with ornamentation. Examples of such decorations, though considered less pertinent as they are not facial decorations, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 89,452; 236,935; 2,409,369; 2,453,485; 2,498,748; 2,502,386; 2,526,087; 3,958,430; 4,282,721; and 4,827,738.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,853 discloses an ornamental ear insert which is adapted to be inserted and retained in the external ear. A resilient metal mesh screen having folds throughout and a hook at its upper and lower portions permit the ornamental ear insert to be secured to the ear. In use, the mesh screen is compressed and inserted into the external ear, concealing the ear canal. When released, the mesh screen expands and presses against the external ear, thereby securing the ornamental ear insert. For additional fastening purposes, the hooks are placed between the external ear and the skull. The hooks bend into the outer portion of the external ear to prevent the upper and lower portions of the ornamental ear insert from being displaced.
Although the above described ornamental ear insert attaches easily, it does not provide ornamentation for the face. Such an ornament is limited to placement within the ear. The expansion property of the mesh screen is ineffective outside of the ear as there are no features on the face which the mesh screen can expand against. Thus, it would be highly desirable to have a facial decoration which may be easily attached and removed. Such a decoration should be supported by the ear and should rest on the face in a position forward of the ear.
A technique which provides an adornment in the form of an earring, which can be applied or removed with relative ease, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,240. There, a hook or J-shaped rigid bar or strip is placed behind the ear and an end leg portion of the J-shaped strip is secured to the pierced earlobe by an earring stud and bracket. Connected to the curved upper portion of the J-shaped strip is a decorative member extending downwardly in front of the ear. There is a provision for adjusting the size of the strip to accommodate different sized ears. In this regard, the end leg portion is adapted to receive the earring stud in different openings in the strip wherein the stud is held in position by the bracket.
While such an arrangement may be adapted to fit various ear sizes, it requires the strip to be in contact with the back portion of the ear in at least two different locations. In this regard, the strip contacts the back portion of the ear at the ear lobe and at the top of the ear where the adornment extends in front of the ear. Depending on the shape of the ear, another contact area may exist. For example, where the radius of curvature of the rear portion of the ear is less than that of the decorative member, the strip will contact an intermediate portion of the rear portion of the ear. Such extensive contact with the ear can result, under certain circumstances, in discomfort to the wearer due to pressure exerted against the ear by the strip.
Where the strip contacts the ear at the intermediate portion and the top of the ear, the discomfort results from the sensitivity of the soft skin on the rear portion of the ear. The strip contacts the soft skin along a discrete line of engagement at the two aforementioned locations. Thus, the force exerted by the strip on the soft skin of the rear portion of the ear is concentrated at two areas. The result of the concentrated forces is an indentation in the skin which is translated into discomfort, and even pain, for the user.
Further discomfort is realized by the user where the strip is permitted to move along the surface of the soft skin. As the curved upper portion of the J-shaped strip merely rests on the top of the ear, the strip is free to rotate about the earring stud. When the strip does rotate, for example, when the wearer is dancing, the strip will rub against the soft skin of the ear at the intermediate portion and at the top of the ear. The rubbing of those two locations results in discomfort and may lead to abrasions from the frictional forces between the strip and the soft skin.
The use of an earring to support the strip at the ear lobe adds to the discomfort of the user. Substantially all of the mass of the ear decoration is located above the point where the earring stud connects the strip to the ear lobe. Thus, the ear lobe must support the strip, counteracting the downward force exerted by gravity. As the ear lobe is relatively small and thin, the downward force is not well dispersed and results in a concentrated pressure point causing discomfort.
A user may object to the use of an earring attachment for reasons other than those of discomfort. For instance, a question of hygiene is presented to a user wanting pierced ears. If the user chooses not to have pierced ears, for whatever reason, the use of a decoration having an earring support is not possible. Furthermore, the user may object to the appearance of non-aesthetically pleasing components of the decoration.
The decoration of U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,240 is adaptable to different sizes of ears. All that is required to adjust the size of the decoration is to select a new opening in which to insert the ear stud. A large ear size requires the ear stud to be placed in an opening farthest from the top of the ear while a small ear size requires the ear stud to be placed in an opening closer to the top of the ear than for a large ear. In the case of a small ear, the appropriate opening is selected, leaving a portion of the strip to extend down below the ear lobe. The portion which extends down contains unused openings and detracts from the appearance of the decoration.
Another drawback to the decoration described above is the manner in which the user puts on the decoration. Although applying and removing the decoration can be done without special tools, unlike a tatoo, it is at best an awkward procedure. The user must perform a number of operations simultaneously in order to be successful. The strip must be held so that the openings in the end leg portion are aligned with the hole in the ear lobe. The bracket must be placed and held behind the appropriate hole. Additionally, the earring stud must be aligned with the hole in the ear lobe as well.
To accomplish all of the above at the same time would seem to require four hands, even under the best of conditions. Under some conditions, such as in a dimly lit room, in an automobile, or without the benefit of a mirror, such a task would seem extraordinarily awkward, no matter how many hands were available.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to have a facial decoration which is constructed and arranged such that it engages the ear from the front and, therefore, requires only minimal contact with the ear at its upper and lower parts to support the decoration.
Such a device should be capable of being adjusted readily to various ear sizes without adding excessive weight to the decoration or adding unappealing obtrusive support members. Furthermore, such a device should provide additional decoration behind the ear to further enhance the aesthetic appearance of the ear.